Design is how we decide what matters.
I work at the intersection of design, horticulture, culture, and systems—helping people and institutions think clearly, act deliberately, and create lasting impact.
Rochelle Greayer
Editor of American Gardener
Landscape designer & writer
PITH + VIGOR Founder
Read My Thinking
Read My Thinking
Design & Living Systems
How land, ecology, and culture intersect—and what happens when we design with that in mind.
Translating complexity for broad audiences through writing, editorial leadership, and storytelling.
Applying design thinking inside organizations to shape values, strategy, and long-term impact.
Public Education & Media
Institutional Change & Stewardship
What I Work On:
Gardens are not decoration. They are infrastructure.
When we treat planting, biodiversity, and tree canopy as civic systems rather than hobbies, gardens become engines of resilience, health, and equity. The real victory garden isn’t staged on a political lawn—it’s built block by block, by people who understand that caring for land is a form of citizenship.
The Real Victory Garden
Planting trees and biodiversity is urgent civic work, not just a hobby
Illustration by Jordan Manning
Read the Manifesto on Design as Public Practice
Read the Manifesto on Design as Public Practice
At the American Horticultural Society, I lead work that connects design thinking, publishing, education, and strategy — shaping how a legacy institution communicates and where it’s headed next.
Case Study: Design Leadership at National Scale
- Led a full redesign of a national magazine, updating both its editorial voice and visual language to reach new audiences.
- Established clear standards for accuracy, storytelling, and design that make the content both trustworthy and engaging.
- Guided national partnerships that tie products back to education, values, and long-term credibility.
- Built growth strategies for membership and revenue that focus on depth, not promotion.
Selected Clients, Partners & Publications:
Design Thinking
How to Have Better Ideas (In the Garden — and Beyond)
Designing Our Way Out of Bad Landscapes - Why regulation shapes design outcomes more than taste ever will.
Designing Like a Curator - Why coherence, restraint, and narrative matter more than accumulation.
Plants as Culture
Red White and Revolutionary: The Case for Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)
Essays on Design,
Place, and Stewardship
A reflection on how a single plant embodies ecology, culture, and thoughtful curiosity.
An argument for curatorial thinking as a way to create landscapes — and decisions — with clarity and purpose.
A practical rejection of “ideation” culture in favor of constraint, intention, and better questions.
Creative Process
A critique of conventional planning norms — and a proposal for localized garden vernaculars that strengthen communities.
Civic Landscapes
A design approach refined over 25+ years of practice—focused on reading land, making intentional choices, and creating gardens that improve with time.
Explore
Design is how we decide what matters.
I write about gardens, places, and responsibility — in public, as I’m thinking.
No schedule. No spam.
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